


like a soul mate, you're my penguin

by ladyofdecember



Series: FrenderMonth2017 [5]
Category: Futurama
Genre: Angst, F/M, Love Confessions, M/M, Mentions of Fry pining for Leela, Pining, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-12
Updated: 2017-08-12
Packaged: 2018-12-14 14:35:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11785179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladyofdecember/pseuds/ladyofdecember
Summary: Fry is upset over where his life seems to be heading as he pours out his soul to Bender over Leela which he does not appreciate. Week 2: Angst & Jealousy.





	like a soul mate, you're my penguin

**Author's Note:**

> Can you find the time to let your lover love you?  
> He only wants to show you the things he wants to learn too  
> The hardest parts you'll get through  
> And in the end, you'll have your best friend
> 
> Love like this may come once, baby it's fate  
> Like a soul mate, he's your penguin  
> Baby it's fate, baby it's fate, not luck  
> -Penguin by Christina Perri
> 
> My favorite thing about this song is the fact that she uses the analogy of penguins to compare a perfect couple. And we all know what Bender's favorite animal is. I placed the tag unrequited love on the fic because in my mind, I really don't think Leela cares for Fry all that much. I feel like she just decided to settle for him. So with Fry, it is really unrequited love.

Fry was sitting in the break room at Planet Express, head in hand, as he stared at a chipped part of the table near the edge. His thoughts heavy, his mind weary, he barely noticed Bender approaching.

He came in whistling a jaunty tune before settling down at the table across from his friend. “Why the face, meatball? Oh wait, that's just your face!” He began to cackle at his own joke while the redhead said nothing.

After a moment, when Fry didn't even seem to move from his slumped posture, the bending unit grew annoyed. “Aw, c'mon. I was just kidding. What's wrong with you?!”

“Nothing, Bender.”

“Yeah, right.”

An awkward silence drifted over the two when Bender began drumming his fingers on the table. Fry finally sighed and sat up straight, only to sink down in his chair. “It's just... I'm starting to realize that maybe I'm a failure at life, ya know?”

“Uh-huh... “

“And like, I haven't accomplished anything! But like, I also don't want to, ya know?”

“Uh-huh... “

“Leela just wants to be something I'm not. She wants too much. She expects too much of me!”

“Meatball!” Bender interrupted suddenly, slamming his hand attachments down on the table. “I'm so sick of this!” He began to mock his friend. “'Oh, woe is me! I love Leela! But she doesn't love me! I have to change myself! Oh, she loves me now! YAY!' Just... do me a favor?! Stop telling me about your dumb, human problems! I don't care.”

Fry gaped at the unit as he stood up to leave in anger. “But Bender-”

“No!” He spun on his heel/foot cup and began marching toward the man again, to jab a digit in his fleshy chest. “All I ever hear is about her! And I'm sick of it! What about me, huh? You just... you don't care, do you?! And... you never will either.”

Silence hung in the air and Fry was at a loss for words still. Bender let the full ocean of feelings he'd been trying to hold back loose inside of him and began to feel very overwhelmed in his micro-processing circuits.

Just as the robot was determined to turn and run, Fry finally found his voice. “But I... I do care about you, Bender. I always have. Why would you think I don't?”

It was a miracle that none of their co-workers had interrupted the private conversation yet and Bender suspected any minute now that they would burst in. Though, once he'd checked his internal clock, noticed it was well after 6pm, he knew there was no chance of that happening. Everyone had long gone home being that they hadn't even had any deliveries that day.

Bender kept facing the door, still intent on escaping this nightmare of an exchange. Still, something itched at his circuits, begged him to utter the question that he so desperately wanted to avoid. Still, he slowly, quietly, spoke the words. “You're so wrapped up in her, in everything that she is and isn't. You don't even see what's in front of you, do you? It's like you refuse to see the world around you anymore, Fry. You don't... you deserve so much more.”

There was the sound of the hard plastic chair being dragged across the tile floor, then a few hesitant steps nearing him before Bender felt the warm hand on his shoulder. It felt nice on his cold metal exterior for so many reasons, the most important being who the hand belonged to. Bender still didn't turn around and so Fry stepped around him to face him.

He beamed at him. “You're so sweet, Bender. Why are you so nice to me? I really don't deserve it. I'm a screw up.”

“What?!” This was the point at which the robot blew up. “Are you out of your mind? Of course, you deserve it! You deserve... you deserve everything, Fry!”

Fry smiled even bigger than he had as he shyly looked down at his shoes. A thought occurred to him and he blushed as he looked back up at his best friend. “You know, you do too. I'm sorry you think that I haven't noticed you lately, the way you've been... acting.”

“What do you mean?” Bender was nervous now, anger completely melting away. He tried not to think about the fact that he'd gone through nearly all emotions in a span of two minutes, he was just that great, okay? Don't think about it too much.

“I know that you care about me. I care about you too. You're my best friend, of course I do. But... I think maybe there's another reason too. Maybe I... just care too much about you. I dunno what I'm trying to say.”

“Fry, I just wish you'd realize you deserve to be happy. If I could, I'd make you happy every day! And I'd never stop!”

As the human smiled down at his robot friend, his heart sped up and suddenly things didn't seem so bleak. He moved his hands up to gently rest on either side of the robot and then, finally making his mind up, he leaned in to chance a kiss where the bending unit's lips would be.

He didn't know what to do expect exactly and was pleasantly surprised by the feeling a just a slight jolt to his chapped lips. It wasn't overpowering and he barely felt it but it was there, though he wasn't sure if that was because he was kissing a robot or just simply the excitement of kissing his best friend. It was something he'd been thinking about for years.

When they pulled away, there was uncertainty in the air. After all, he'd just grabbed the unit and kissed him with no further warning or explanation. But Bender was grinning like a mad man and he was sure he'd never seen the bot that happy.

“Wow... “ Bender said in awe.

“You do make me happy every day, Bender. And... I want to try to make you happy too.” Fry said, blushing.

“But I can't compete with Leela-”

“Forget Leela!” He interrupted. “We're not together, not really. I just need to be honest with her and tell her about my feelings.”

“Oh... “ Bender began, feeling dread fill him.

“My feelings for you, dummy!”

“Oh!” He said in surprise.

The two stood together contently until Bender threw his arms around the man, squeezing him tightly. “Oh, Fry!”

The redhead began to sputter wildly and cough. “Bender! Bender! Remember, the grip! Too... tight... “

“Oh yeah.” He immediately let go of his friend. “Forgot, gotta ease into it.”

Fry recovered and hugged the robot as tight as he could.

Neither had another day of uncertainty again, at least when it came to the other.


End file.
